KHTS Radio Santa Clarita Radio – Santa Clarita News
A property adjacent to Bridge to Home is being eyed by Santa Clarita officials, as the city council is set to discuss the purchasing the land for a year-round homeless shelter.
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The Santa Clarita City Council is scheduled to consider the purchase of one acre of land in Saugus for $511,000 and transferring the ownership of the property to Bride to Home, according to the agenda.
The current Santa Clarita Valley Temporary Emergency Winter Shelter Program, operated by Bridge to Home, is located next-door to the property being considered by city officials.
The location of the winter shelter was determined in 2007 as part of a community Task Force effort led by the Los Angeles County Fifth District Supervisor. This Task Force was comprised of business, community, school, government, and nonprofit leaders within the Santa Clarita Valley.
The shelter started operations at the Golden Valley Road property during the 2007-2008 winter season and remained at that location until March 2010.
During the 2010-2011 winter season, the shelter moved to the current property located on Drayton Street.
Operations have been renewed annually under the use of a Temporary Use Permit, which allowed for the operation of the temporary emergency winter shelter on City of Santa Clarita-owned property from November to March each year, according to the agenda.
City staff researched alternate locations for a permanent shelter and Bridge to Home indicated the Drayton site is their preferred site for a permanent location.
Measure H was approved by Los Angeles County voters in March 2017 and will generate approximately $355 million annually for the next 10 years, said city officials.
According to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), all new funding for shelter programs will be for organizations operating 24-hours and 365 days per year.
There is available funding through Measure H specific to shelter operations, according to city officials
Transfer of ownership of the Drayton Street property from the City to Bridge to Home and the approval of a Temporary Use Permit to operate year-round would allow Bridge to Home to be eligible to receive the maximum amount of Measure H funding.
Therefore, on Sept. 26, 2017, the City Council authorized the transfer of ownership of the Drayton property on to Bridge to Home for the future development of a homeless service center.
Due to the need for the expansion of the winter shelter, the owner of the approximate one-acre property adjacent to the current location is willing to enter into an agreement to sell the property to the City.
The Santa Clarita City Council meeting is set for Feb. 13 at 6 p.m. in the council chambers.
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Build it and they will come. Worked great for cities like Santa Monica.
Scary. I’m from Santa Monica and Chris is right. Not a good idea.
The City has kicked the can down the road for a decade. Currently hidden at the end of Drayton.
The career City Counselors need to retire and the voters need to bring in some new leadership.
Future planning is long past due for a permanent home for the homeless in Santa Clarita.
When I was homeless for 3 months before I was taken in by my parents I lived in a tent with my cat due to losing my home. It would have been nice for us to get out of the weather when I had pneumonia. Everyone has a story, you would be surprised by th different stories they have that put them homeless. Not everyone is an addict or lazy person that doesn’t want to work, some of us were injured and disabled and could not work like me and ran out of benefits and couldn’t make my payments anymore. I talked to so many people who have had that issue even with kids and living in travel trailers and having to move alkyl the time and keeping their children in school and give them a so called normal life as best as possible. I knew some that lost their home while fighting for their life and had a tent or a travel trailer because there was no place else to go. I use to be one of you judgemental people until I walked in their shoes. My cat and I even slept in my car sometimes to get out of the cold and my cat was all I had left that kept me going on and kept giving me a reason to go on. I feel a place to get some of the homeless of the street and out of tents would be a great thing and I think they should allow their pet/ pets because they help either live.
It is not a good idea to create a permanent homeless shelter in Santa Clarita. There is a seasonal shelter available during bad weather already and it isn’t used by very many. If you create a permanent shelter, homeless will come to SCV. I know Tana Rich has a different story than most of the homeless population, but if you talk to some, they’ll tell you they don’t want to live in a facility. There is currently an attorney defending the homeless that have taken up “residency” along the river bed in Orange County and she states that most homeless don’t or can’t live in a shelter for psychological reasons. They suffer from a variety of emotional issues that prevent them from being in a crowded environment with other people. As stated above, shelters don’t work. They attract the criminal element not those who truly need help. Our current homeless population is around 330 and hasn’t changed much since counting began. To build a shelter just to tap into federal funds is wrong.
It is not a good idea to create a permanent homeless shelter in Santa Clarita. There is a seasonal shelter available during bad weather already and it isn’t used by very many. If you create a permanent shelter, homeless will come to SCV. I know Tana Rich has a different story than most of the homeless population, but if you talk to some, they’ll tell you they don’t want to live in a facility. There is currently an attorney defending the homeless that have taken up “residency” along the river bed in Orange County and she states that most homeless don’t or can’t live in a shelter for psychological reasons. They suffer from a variety of emotional issues that prevent them from being in a crowded environment with other people. As stated above, shelters don’t work. They attract the criminal element, not those who truly need help. Our current homeless population is around 330 and hasn’t changed much since counting began. To build a shelter just to tap into federal funds is wrong.
If not here, then where else people? This NIMBY attitude/belief is what has historically been used to keep “undesirables” out. Not too long ago that meant all people of color, Jews, Gays and any group labeled as “other.” Unfortunately, this ignorant and shortsighted attitude is still pervasive today and just as harmful and hateful as ever. It is so easy to turn away and pretend that the need to help those less fortunate is someone else’s problem as long as you are comfortable and well fed. As a community, we have the opportunity to set an example of compassion and care; naturally there must be guidelines and rules to reduce the risks, but to not even try to help is unethical and shameful.
An acre will fit about 6 or 8 of those Dickens-style condominiums, but perhaps also a kind of long term YMCA/YWCA hostel that could be run as a stabilization camp. But public land, that’s another idea.
I was parked in Kmart once with my car window half opened. Suddenly out from nowhere, this homeless guy sneaked on my driver side and spit on me for no reason. I wanted to beat him up but I have my 2 kids with me in the car ! He ran away when I was about to chase after him. No more homeless in Santa Clarita!
Crazy people !
Horrible idea build it and more and more will come trashing this city. crime will go up